Air conditioning unit



March .17, 1936. l M PERSONS- 2,034,31

AIR CONDITIONING UNIT Filed April 2, 1934y Patented Mar. 17, 1936 PATENT OFFICE AIR CONDITIONING UNITl Lawrence M. Persons, Des Moines, Iowa, assignor to Penn Electric Switch Co., Des Moines, Iowa,

la corporation of Iowa Application April 2, 1934, Serial No. 718,537

3 Claims.

One object of my present invention is to provide an air conditioning unit of improved character over the air conditioning unit shown in my co-pending application, Serial No. 651,521, filed January 13, 1933, the improved unit, however,

element, thus causing heat transfer between the y air and the water within the tank to increase the emciency of the unit.

Still a further object is to provide an air conditioning unit having a water receptacle and a wall, preferably of insulating material spaced therefrom, air circulating mechanism being provided which causes circulation of the air between the insulating wall and the receptacle so that, heat transfer can occur before the air comes in contact with the humidifying or dehumidifying elements.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the rvobjects# contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of an air conditioning unit of the improved type embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the unit in use for dehumidifying and cooling purposes.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the unit in use as a humidifying unit in connection with a furnace.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeral I0 to indicate a receptacle. The receptacle .I0 is preferably formed of' sheet metal or other material through which heat can be transferred readily. Spaced' from the walls of the receptacle I0 is a 4container or wall I2 preferably formed of insulating material so that escape or entrance of heat to the space I4 between the wall I2 and the receptacle I0 is minimized.

In Figure2, I have shown a warm air duct I6 dropping from a Iioor I1 and communicating with the space I4 in the air conditioning unit. The spaces I4 communicate with passageways I8 which, as best shown by arrows in Figure 1, communicate with the--^interior of blower housings I9 through cone shaped entrance openings 2|. The blower housings have discharge passageways 20 communicating with a coolair duct 22 leading to the room above the floor I'I.

Journalled in bearings 24 is a blower shaft 26.

It has a pulley 28 thereon which is rotated through the medium of a belt 30 from a motor 32. The motor 32 can lbe controlled manually or automatically in any desired manner, as disclosed in my co-pending application hereinbefore referred to. Blowers are provided on the ends of the shaft 26 and comprise discs 34 having blades 36. Surrounding the blades 36 are a plurality of ring shaped discs 38 substantially supported by spiders 39 and bearings 4I for rotation on the shaft 26 by reason of friction between the two as shown in my co-pending application. The discs 38 are assembled on rods 4I) and are spaced along the rods so that air can pass from the blower blades 36 outwardly between the discs 38.

In Figure 2, I have shown a cooling coil 42 for extracting heat from the water in the receptacle I0 and a refrigerant compressor 44 driven by an electric motor 46 for circulating refrigerant through-the coil 42.

The motor can be controlled in any desired manner. A condensercoil istillustrated at 48r and is cooled by water in a receptacle 50. A water supply pipe 54 and an overiiow drain 56 are used with thereceptacle 50 in the ordinary manner for water cooled condenser types of mechanical refrigerators.

In Figure 3, I have illustrated the air conditioning unit in combination `with a furnace 62. A cold air duct 58 drops from the oor II into the unit and another one, 60, drops from the unit to the jacket of the furnace. 'I'hehot air pipes are indicated atl 64. The unit in this iigure is used as a humidifier rather than a cooler and dehumidier, as in Figure 2.

Practical operation In ther operation of my improved unit as a dehumidifier and room air cooler, the relatively warm air entering the duct I6 iiows through the passageways I4 and in so doing comes in contact with the cool tank I0, thus somewhat reducing the temperature of the air before it comes in contact with the cool discs 38. This reduction in surfaces of the elements 38 and is removed therefrom by coming in contact with the water in the "receptacle I0. The water keeps the discs 38 at a low temperature and consequently additionally cools the air as it comes from the passageways I4 and strikes the discs 38 before leading to the room tacle I to the wet bulb temperature.

through the passageways 22.

Without the passageways I 4, there is a tendency 4for the incoming air from the duct I6 to lower` the temperature of the water in the recep- With the air first coming in contact with the receptacle I0 this tendency is counteracted, the water in absorbing heat from the air through the walls of the receptacle rising more nearly to the dry bulb temperature. The work of coolingthe air performed by the discs 38 is thus decreased as the air coming in contact with the tank III accomplishes part of the cooling.

I am thus able to increase the eniciency of the unit over the type of unit shown in my co-pending application. The walls I2 being of insulation minimizes absorption of heat from the atmosphere surrounding the insulated wall, thus bringing the efficiency to a maximum.

When the unit is used for humidication, as in Figure 3, the cool air first coming in contact with the receptacle III tends to absorb heat therefrom, thus lowering the Water to the wet bulb temperature instead of its temperature tending to rise to the dry bulb temperature as when the passageways I 4- are not provided. Humidication is then accomplished in a more facile manner and the eciency of the unit as a humidier is thus increased.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my' claims, any modied forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included Within their scope.

I claim as my inventionz- 1. In an air conditioning unit, a tank for water, an element having a portion movable into and out of the water in said tank, said tank being formed of heat conducting materiaL'means for supporting said tank with the bottom and all sides thereof exposed to circulated air, .walls spaced from said bottom and sides and providing a space therebetween for circulated air, and means for circulating the air, first through said space, and then past the portion of said element out of the water. c

2. In an air conditioning unit, air circulating mechanism, a tank for water, and formed of heat conducting material, an element having a portion movable into and out of the Water vin said tank, means for supporting said tank with the bottom and all sides thereof exposed tol circulated air, walls spaced from said bottom and sides and providing a space therebetween for the' circulated air, and means for causing the air circulated by said airv circulating mechanism to flow first through said space and then past the portion of said element out of the water.

3. In an air conditioning unit, a tank for water, an element having a portion movable into and out of. the water in said tank, said tank being 

